


Candlenights, Caffeinated

by charmandhex



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fluff and Humor, I think it goes without saying but, Magnus and Julia immediately fall in love and then proceed to be oblivious about it, Really just unmitigated fluff, background Blupjeans and Taakitz, canon typical language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-26 21:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17149190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmandhex/pseuds/charmandhex
Summary: Magnus Burnsides has a whole lot to do and do well in order to finish his IPRE application before Candlenights and the rapidly approaching deadline. Good thing he ran into Julia Waxmen, most beautiful woman he’s ever seen and future IPRE pilot, at the local coffee shop.





	1. You, Me, and the IPRE

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CartoonCrazy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CartoonCrazy/gifts).



            Magnus Burnsides cannot concentrate. He taps his foot. He drums his fingers on the table. He looks around the bustling coffee shop. He listens in on the overly caffeinated orders of college students and the butchered pronunciations of every name. He chews on the end of a pen he assuredly doesn’t need for an application that’s online. He drinks his s’mores Frappuccino because holy shit plastic pens do not taste great.

            In short, Magnus Burnsides focuses on everything but the IPRE application in front of him.

            “Maggie!” Taako, world’s greatest barista, intentionally bad at pronouncing names, and one of Magnus’s best friends, is suddenly standing next to him, hands on his hips.

            “Hey, Taako.” Magnus leans to the side to look at the counter behind Taako. There’s still a sizable line that Leon most definitely isn’t equipped to handle on his own. “Uh… shouldn’t you be back there?”

            Taako flaps a hand, nonchalantly brushing it off. “It’s fine.” A yelp from Leon and a high-pitched squeal from the espresso machine would seem to indicate otherwise. “Besides, _you_ are supposed to be working on _that_.” Taako jabs an accusatory finger at Magnus’s screen. It’s open to Microsoft Word, the document creatively titled, “write your fucking IPRE application Magnus.”

            Suffice it to say, said title has not worked.

            Sure, he has a few notes on why he wants in (though “all my friends are trying this too cause they’re super smart” is probably not what the panel wants to read) and even fewer on his qualifications (somehow he doubts that “hugging” and “carving ducks” are going to work very much in his favor). But the overall essay? Nonexistent. Not even Luce and her almost magically talented red pen of editing (Magnus has gotten a few essays back from her that were more red ink than paper) can save him if he can’t get _any_ words on the paper.

            Magnus looks up at Taako, knowing the guilt is clear on his face. “I am trying,” He whines.

            Taako tsks. “Yeah, I know, but, uh, you haven’t touched that keyboard in like 15 minutes, my dude.”

            “How do you-” As Magnus talks, the screen shifts from the barely touched essay to Magnus’s screensaver roll of various dogs he’s seen around campus. “Ah, fuck.” Magnus taps the track pad, bringing the document back into view.

            “My point exactly. Get going, Maggie.”

            “You’re one to talk. You procrastinate all the time though!”

            “Lup and I fuckin’ finished ours, uh, _thank you_.”

            “You’re. Actually smart though.” Magnus mutters, and Taako scowls.

            “You got this far, didn’t you?” Taako points out. “And-”

            “Excuse me?” A woman with a haircut and a dye job that Magnus immediately recognizes as belonging to that special type of “Can I speak to the manager?” customer approaches. “Are you on break? I’ve been waiting in line for eight minutes!”

            “Two minutes, Susan!” Taako deliberately turns away from the woman whose name may or may not be Susan to continue his glower at Magnus. “Listen, you finish, or no Candlenights cookies for you. Got it, Magnus?” And Taako marches off, luckily with Susan following in his wake. Leon looks ready to cry in relief.

            Magnus turns back to his essay. Taako has a point. And his friends are counting on him! Maybe? Unless… do they really need _him_? Magnus hesitates, before painstakingly tapping out a few words. Deleting a few. He goes on like that for what feels like an eternity. His eyes flick to the clock in the corner of his screen. Thirteen minutes have gone by. He’s added 76 words. Magnus lets out a groan.

            The bell above the door jingles as it opens, letting in a rush of cold air that promises snow to come. He really shouldn’t have chosen a seat this close to the door, because the last thing Magnus needs is more distraction, he thinks as he looks up. And then he seems to stop thinking altogether. And doesn’t look back down at his essay.

            A young woman around Magnus’s age has walked in, hardly unusual in a coffee shop just off campus in the city of Neverwinter. But it’s… but there’s something about her… Wild dark curls poke out from under a yellow knit cap, framing her face. Her very pretty face, with lips and cheeks red from cold, a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and a firm chin.  Magnus can’t tell if it’s the lighting or the way his eyes are swimming from staring at his screen, but _her_ eyes seem to be actually sparkling.

            And suddenly Magnus Burnsides is focusing on one thing. Or rather, one person.

            He watches, half entranced, as she makes her way to the end of the line, now rather shorter with Taako back and making orders. Speaking of which-

            “Half half caf, half regular plus double shot grandissimo with one part soy milk to one part almond milk with three pumps vanilla syrup one pump hazelnut with light whip and 1.5 servings of caramel sauce for _Susan!_ ” Taako calls out, and the woman from earlier shoots him a dirty look as she scoops up her drink. Taako catches Magnus’s whole “deer in the headlights” look and raises an eyebrow, looking around. When he spots the woman in the yellow cap at the end of the line, the eyebrow drops back down, while the corners of his mouth creep up into what Magnus resignedly recognizes as Taako’s most shit-eating grin.

            Rather than continue to stare (since it’s been noticed by at least one person), Magnus looks around the rest of the coffee shop, feigning nonchalance, as if he’s merely thinking through the next point of his essay (or even the first) and needs a moment to figure out the wording. And then he does a double take.

            Every single table within the crowded coffee shop is occupied, be it by groups of students from which the steady thrum of typing rises or by Susan alone at a four person table, her oversized purse, coat, scarf, and hat taking the remaining seats. In fact, Magnus realizes as the woman in the yellow cap steps up to the counter, really, the only free seat is the one opposite Magnus.

            He immediately begins scrambling, pulling notebooks and textbooks off the other half of the table, stacking them at least somewhat neatly (and goodness knows he’s not using his distraction with the IPRE application as an excuse to study for his last exam instead). Sure, she might just turn around, look at the busy, clamorous room and walk right out the door, leaving behind only a rush of cold to again blast Magnus in the face… but if she doesn’t, if she’s going to be looking for a seat, well, it’s only the polite thing to do, to clear a spot for her. It’s rustically hospitable. Right.

            The person ahead of her, having gotten their drink, does, in fact, do a onceover of the coffee shop. Magnus notes that their eyes fall on him for a second, but he’s still frantically scrambling with papers (look, he’d grabbed the folder upside down and sent papers everywhere; it could have happened to anyone). They give a little shrug, and Magnus barely manages to pin down all of his papers before the inevitable gust of wind attached to the person leaving hits him in the face.

            “Hot chocolate for _Julia!_ ” Taako calls out, far, far louder than need be, and no doubt because of catching Magnus staring earlier. Julia. It’s a pretty name. But, shit, can he even trust Taako that it _is_ her name? Taako’s been saying the wrong names all day, and Magnus being his friend just makes him a more likely target for pranks. Magnus’s face heats up as the young woman goes up to take her drink, thanking Taako with a laugh, before heading toward the door.

            Oh.

            Magnus deflates, shoulders slumping down.

            Magnus straightens when she stops before the door, at the little table of milk and cream and all that. She quickly pops off the lid of her cup, stirring something from one of the shakers into it, before carefully recapping it.

            And _then_ she looks up and around. Magnus tries to look friendly and approachable as he dives back to stare at his essay, taking in exactly none of the words.

            No. Gotta focus. It has to look believable. Magnus shakes his head, reads over the last few words (and deleting the line of jkl;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; that appeared when he’d dropped his hand on the keyboard upon spotting her in the first place) before starting to type again.

            “Excuse me?” The voice hits with an almost physical impact, not because it’s sharp or grating, but because it might just be one of the most beautiful things Magnus has ever heard. Naturally, he can guess who it belongs to. He looks up to see the woman in the yellow cap, an easy smile spread across her face. “Do you mind?” She gestures at the seat, and Magnus mentally high fives himself for his brilliant plan. “Everywhere else is full.”

            “Oh!” Magnus pauses. Well, the plan might have been great, but it seems like his mouth has other ideas. “Y-yes! Yes, absolutely, go right ahead!”

            Nailed it.

            She smiles wider and sets down her drink, plopping her hat down with it, before shrugging off her backpack and jacket, draping the latter over the back of the chair.

            The young woman is wearing an IPRE t-shirt. Magnus nearly chokes on the s’mores Frappuccino he’s just taken a sip of. She sits down and pulls out a laptop, flipping it open, pointing a top covered in stickers straight at Magnus. He notes a university sticker, one for the IPRE, two “I voted,” stickers, and one or two for a few familiar podcasts at a glance.

            Magnus looks down, again trying to avoid staring.

            She hums an impatient-sounding noise, while her laptop wakes up. “You ever notice how computers are slower during finals season?” She asks conversationally, not taking her eyes off the screen. “It’s like they do it to spite you. Or printer problems. I have never had a problem with the printers in McDonald Library, but then, the other day, just when I’m starting to print out my EPP paper? Refuse to print in black and white because it’s out of cyan. And then it printed. _In cyan._ ” Magnus startles at the mention of EPP, Extraplanar Physics. Barry’s working as the TA for that class.

            “Oh, uh, yeah,” Magnus laughs. “It’s like, come on, time to do shit already, let’s gooooooooooooo.” She smiles, and something in Magnus’s stomach flips. She starts to look back down, and, not wanting the conversation to end, Magnus blurts, “Oh, uh, so… you’re in the IPRE?”

            “Yeah? Kind of?” She says, raising an eyebrow. Magnus feels himself turn red, immediately regretting rushing in. Again. “How did you… know?”

            “Oh! Uh, your shirt!” Magnus gestures, and she looks down, before red sweeps over her own face.

            “Oh. Sorry. I totally forgot I was wearing this thing. I didn’t… yeah, sorry, question makes a little more sense now.” She laughs, just a touch self-consciously, but it’s still a beautiful sound. “Oh wait, I’m sorry, I’m doing this all wrong. Hi, I’m Julia. Julia Waxmen.” She says, extending a hand across the table. “What’s your name?”

            “Magnus! I’m, uh, that is, uh, my name is Magnus Burnsides. Uh. Hail and well met?” He says as he shakes her outstretched hand. It’s warm, and soft. Internally, he’s pulling at his sideburns, screaming at himself. _Hail and well met?_ What happened to his rustic hospitality? He’s fuckin’ _proficient_ in that manners shmanners shit!

            “Nice to meet you, Magnus,” Julia says, taking a sip of her drink. “So, you know the IPRE?” Magnus supposes that’s fair. He doesn’t exactly, uh, look like your standard scientist. He doesn’t look like Barold. And granted, Taako and Lup don’t look like your standard nerds either, but Magnus… definitely sticks out in the application pool. “I mean, I knew about it because I was in the, like, junior version because my mom worked there. I just meant, most people don’t, like, recognize it on sight, I guess.”

            Oh. That’s better. He thinks. “Uh, yeah, I know… about it. Some of my friends work there. And more are applying. And, uh, me too.”

            “Oh! Who?” Julia asks, curiously.

            “Well, Cap’n’port’s an engineer-”

            “You know Captain Davenport!” Julia nearly yells, ignoring the looks sent their way.

            “Yes?”

            “He’s the best pilot in the whole damn place!”

            “Yeah, I know.”

            “I’m a pilot!”

            “Oh. Wow! That’s awesome!”

            “Who else?” It might just be Magnus again, but Julia’s eyes are _definitely_ sparkling now.

            “Uh, Merle’s over in the medic team.”

            At that Julia laughs. “He’s… Merle’s a character.”   

            “That’s a nice way to put it. Barold’s a science officer.”

            “Barold?”

            “Barry Bluejeans?”

            “Oh, him!”

            “Then, me, Taako, Lup, and Lucretia are all applying. Taako and Lup are arcanists; Luce does all kinds of writing; and I, uh, I sort of… look, I, uh, I’m applying for the zoologist-slash-animal behavior position under Barry’s department.”

            “Zoology?” There’s no malice to Julia’s question. Unlike when it comes from so many others.

            “I’ve got animal handling proficiency!” Magnus declares proudly. And then looks down at his laptop. It’s gone to screensaver mode again. “Just not essay writing proficiency.” He nearly mumbles, discouraged again. Well, he _would_ be applying if he could just get this thing written.

            “Oh, the application essay?” Julia sounds sympathetic. “I _hated_ that.”

            “Yeah! It’s like, now hold on, I’ve already done short answers and given you my resume and did a fifteen minute interview to get this far; why do you need this?” Magnus lets out a long exhale. “Sorry. You’ve probably got work to do. And I should… I should probably finish this.”

            “Maybe I could help?” The words seem to come out before Julia realizes what she said, surprising even her. But she doesn’t take them back. “Like, what are you stuck on? I’ve done this before, so maybe I could… give you some pointers I guess?”

            It does sound helpful. And it gives Magnus more opportunity to talk to Julia. That’s like two gerblins with one axe swing or however the saying goes. “Well. I guess. I sort of… got stuck and I’m not even sure where to go from there. Words… not really my strong suit. I’m more of an action first, thought later guy.”

            “So, words not even working at all?” Julia asks.

            “Nope. No way, no how. Like trying to poison a lockbox to open it.”

            “Okay, now, hear me out.” Julia raises her hands. “You know Comic Sans, right? It’s actually designed to be easier to read for people with dyslexia, so oftentimes it’s easier to write in that font. Maybe that could help?”

            A few moments later, and Magnus’s entire document is in the much maligned font. And, to Magnus’s surprise and Julia’s genuine joy, it helps. Of course, Magnus doesn’t finish, not before he has to go to his woodworking club and Julia to her volunteer group.

            “Thanks so much for your help, Julia, I really, uh, really appreciate it. I would probably have an actual shitpile of an essay if not for you.”

            “You’re more than welcome, Magnus.” Julia smiles a lot, has been smiling the whole time, even as she’s been coaching him through his essay while working on her own last paper.

            “So, I, uh, hope I see you around again sometime. Maybe even at the IPRE?” He asks, hopefully, packing his bag up.

            “Oh…” Julia trails off. “Uh, you know, Magnus, I could… we _could_ meet up again sooner, like, maybe even _tomorrow_. If you, uh, you know, could use some more help finishing up your essay. I’ve gotten invested now!” She finishes more confident, laughing.

            Of course Magnus says yes. He forgets about exchanging numbers until Julia spins his laptop around and types hers straight into his essay, but he does say yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Welcome to my first Candlenights fic, and I hope you enjoyed it. This one is a gift for [cartooncrazyart](https://cartooncrazyart.tumblr.com), who requested Magnulia being cute for the tumblr Candlenights gift exchange!
> 
> Next chapters should go up in short order, but I need to finish some things (and grossly underestimated how much overtime December would actually bring holy guacamole).
> 
> Kudos, comment, subscribe, leave a message after the beep at [charmandhex](https://charmandhex.tumblr.com)


	2. What is Strength?

            Magnus is standing in line at the coffee shop the next day. Well, fidgeting in line. And early for once, five minutes earlier than his and Julia’s agreed upon time. Taako isn’t here either; instead it’s his twin sister Lup providing college students and professionals alike with (usually) scorching hot cups of caffeinated beverages.

            Magnus is about to step up to the cash register to have Brad take his order (hot chocolate today), when a finger lightly taps on his shoulder three times. He turns around to see Julia, her face immediately lighting up under her bright yellow cap as he does. “Oh! H-hey, Julia!”

            “Hi, Magnus!” She smiles. “Ready to get to work?”

            “Hell yeah! Uh, say, what were you gonna get to drink? You’re helping me out a lot, least I can do is buy you hot chocolate… or coffee or tea.”

            Thank the gods Brad is the single most tactful employee in the coffee shop; he doesn’t say anything about Julia as Magnus orders two hot chocolates for the pair.

            Of course, subtlety has never been Lup’s style. “Two hot chocolates for Mango _and_ _Julia_!” At least it’s subtle enough that Julia probably missed the comment, even if she didn’t miss the wink that Lup directed at Magnus. Hopefully she missed that, too, though.

            She did not.

            “Hey, uh, do you… know her? Like, is she your girlfriend or something? She kind of… winked at you, so, I figured, uh, that you probably know each other, ‘cause it’d be kind of weird for a total stranger to do something like that.”

            Well, tits. Magnus tries not to turn red. “Oh! That’s… that’s Lup. She’s basically… she’s basically one of my sisters. Adopted sisters. She’s one of the ones applying for the IPRE? She and Taako are the arcanist twins, but she does evocation and he does transmutation. And _definitely_ not my girlfriend.” Magnus laughs at the last, shaking his head at the absurd idea.

            “Definitely not? Why definitely?” Julia asks, tilting her head.

            “Lup’s… she’s… Barry…” Magnus struggles. “Uh… Lup’s got a thing for Barry, and Barry’s got a thing for Lup, and they’re on what Lucretia calls ‘the slowburn to end all slowburns,’ whatever that means.”

            Huh. Julia seems happier to hear that. “Oh! Good for Barry! Well. If they get together?”

            “It’s pretty much inevitable, but Taako’s gonna scream about it until it finally happens.”

            “Right.” Julia’s smile is still wide as she adds what Magnus can now identify as cinnamon to her hot chocolate. “Well. Shall we get started?”

            They’re able to reclaim the same table as yesterday; its proximity to the door and the inevitable rush of cold air makes it a less than desirable spot. Too cold for the Susans of the world, and too small for the half a dozen groups meeting to work on their projects. But absolutely perfect for Magnus to try to get to know Julia a bit better.

            Er. Get her help on his essay. Right.

            “Right.” Julia echoes Magnus’s own thoughts (and for a heart-stopping moment, he wonders if he said them aloud- he did not). “So, yesterday we left off talking about what you really want to include here. So, do we start with why you can do it or why you _want_ to do it?”

            Magnus’s eyes flick to the side as he considers, drumming his fingers on the wooden table. “I guess… why I want to do it first?”

            “Cool. So, uh, Magnus, why are you applying? Like, you, you made a joke about animal handling proficiency yesterday? What… what does that mean?”

            “Oh, uh, well, short answer is my main goal is to hug all the animals on the mission I can.”

            Julia snorts. “A noble goal.”

            “And sneak as many dog or dog-adjacent species on board the ship.”

            “Even better.” Julia’s snort becomes a full laugh. “But, uh, is there a more… _academic_ way of saying it?”

            “I… uh…” Magnus looks around without really focusing on anything in particular. Hurley, Killian, and Noelle are working on a group project in the corner. That one cranky guy, Jenkins, is sitting in “his” self-assigned seat, working on his true crime novel, as per usual. Lup is at the counter, texting (probably Taako). She looks up as well and meets his eyes, a half-sheepish smile spreading over her face as she does, before she returns to her phone. Magnus looks back to Julia. “Well… I guess, uh, this probably sounds dumb, but I’ve always… been good with animals. Like, there was this dog? Like, stray dog, lived in the area when I was a kid? Anyway some of the bigger kids were just picking on it, and I stepped in and-”

            “Is this about to be a story where baby Magnus triumphantly kicks ass and gets a new pet?” Julia asks, smiling.

            Magnus laughs. “Oh fuck no. I got my ass handed to me, and the dog ran off.”

            “Oh.” The smile falls off Julia’s face.

            “But it became- and this probably sounds, uh, kinda weird- it became important to me to stand up for animals and people who couldn’t take care of themselves.”

            “That’s so sweet!”

            “And, uh, things can get dangerous out there. I want… if all my friends are out there, I want to be around to make sure they stick around, you know? Like, Lup can blow shit up and then Barry can bring it back to life anyway, but sometimes you just need a guy who’s real good at hitting things. So, I can take care of my friends, and I can take care of animals, and that’s really why I’m trying to write this stupid essay.” Magnus clears his throat. “So, uh, _anyway_ , as far as, uh, _actual_ qualifications go, I ended up getting really into animals and zoology and all that. And because, uh, I wanted to help them, I got really good at it.”

            Julia is nodding along with his bumbling story. “That’s good! I mean it, it really is. Do you… like, so I’m guessing you’ve got the coursework here to back it up, but then if you’ve got like… experience outside academia and awards and things, that really helps too. Kinda like applying to college round 2, especially since grad school’s usually involved anyway.”

            “Oh yeah!” Magnus brightens up. “We were all, like, the science club nerds.”

            “You were a science club nerd?”

            “I’m _still_ a science club nerd!” Magnus says proudly, to Julia’s earnest laughter. Somewhat belatedly, Magnus Burnsides realizes that he might be starting to fall in love with Julia Waxmen. “Taako still says they let me in so Greg Grimaldis wouldn’t start shit, but we all know Lup would have handed his whole entire ass to him anyway. And, I mean, she did, later.” Julia laughs harder. Even more belatedly, Magnus realizes that he’s probably well past the point of starting to fall in love with Julia. “But, uh… as far as, like, actually being good enough for the IPRE…” He shrugs.

            Julia’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

            “Well, like, there’s gotta be better candidates than me, right? Like, Taako and Lup are the top of their class, easy, even if Taako pretends he never studies. Luce is a straight up published author; she’s got like 12 books out already. And I’m…” He shrugs again.

            “Magnus. You’ve gotten this far, haven’t you?” Julia asks, voice soft.

            “I mean. I guess. Had a lot of help.”

            “Asking for help isn’t weakness, Magnus. Asking for help when you need it is a sign of strength.” Magnus doesn’t immediately respond, staring down at his hot chocolate. Julia reaches out and, after hesitating a moment, touches his hand. Magnus jumps. “Oh, shit, fuck, sorry. I didn’t mean-” She draws back, and Magnus unthinkingly reaches out to grab her hand back. She’s looking at him quizzically, and Magnus feels like he should let go, but she’s not drawing back further.

            “Thanks, Julia. That… means a lot coming from someone who’s not… someone who’s unbiased, I guess.”

            “Hey, don’t mention it.” She smiles. After another slightly awkward (but not really awkward) moment or two of staring at each other, they both draw their hands back, immediately going to take a sip of hot chocolate. “So. Uh. Other stuff?”

            “Uh, so majoring in zoology and fulfilling all the pre-vet requirements… have to keep a 3.3 for the scholarship, so I’ve got that!”

            Julia stares. “You’ve kept a minimum of a 3.3 GPA for the entirety of your college career and you’re concerned you’re not smart enough for the IPRE?”

            “…Yes?”

            “Okay, Int high, Wis needs work, got it.” Julia laughs, lifting her cup. “Research experience?”

            “I’m on my third semester working in Mercer’s lab.”

            Julia spits out the sip of hot chocolate she’s just taken, and speckles of liquid hit Magnus’s face. “Ah, shit, fuck, dammit.” Immediately Julia is standing, leaning over the table, and dabbing at Magnus’s face with some brown paper napkins. “Sorry, Magnus, I just- you just-” She sits back in her seat with a heavy exhale. Magnus reaches up to his face where she’d touched it. “You’ve got a baller GPA and you work in _Mercer’s_ lab. _Why_ are you worried?” The question is sincere, not unkind.

            “I mean. Essays and shit. I’m not great at… words and stuff. I’m just good at animals and protecting stuff, fundamentally.” Julia shakes her head slowly. Magnus pauses before asking the question that’s been turning over in his head for the past day. “Julia? Why did you apply? To the IPRE?”

            “Oh. Well. I told you my mom worked there, right? I basically grew up with it, and I grew up wanting to be a pilot for it. I’ve always wanted to explore and go as far as I could go. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Julia’s eyes take on a faraway look, as if she’s looking on stars and worlds too distant to even be imagined while still sitting here in a perfectly ordinary coffee shop. She comes back down to this plane and looks at him. “Magnus. If we can get this written, you’re going to get in, and you’re going to be amazing.”

            Funnily enough, despite hearing similar comments, both exasperatedly sincere and sincerely exasperated, from friends and family, Magnus actually believes it this time.

            They work for hours, through several of Brad’s very polite attempts to kick them out (not that either of them realize that’s what he’s doing), leaving only when Lup throws some leftover scones straight at Magnus’s head.

            “So, uh, I’ll… or, uh, we’ll text about meeting up again, maybe?” Julia asks while Magnus chomps down on the blueberry scone. What? He’s not going to waste a perfectly good scone, especially not one baked by the twins.

            “Oh, yeah, definitely! If, uh, if you’re not too busy, that is.” Magnus amends, swallowing down the pastry, careful not to spray Julia with a shower of crumbs. Even if she had sprayed him with a mouthful of hot chocolate earlier.

            “Oh! Nah, I mean, I was still working through those long stretches of you writing, and this has actually done wonders for my writer’s block. So… I’ll see you around, Magnus?”

            “See you around, Julia.” Magnus answers. Julia looks like she still wants to say something or maybe do something. Magnus has no idea what though. After another brief staring contest, Julia says goodbye again before quickly spinning on her heel and walking off. Magnus watches the pompom on the top of her yellow hat bounce as she walks down the street. It’s finally started to snow.

            “Wow. You guys are, uh, _really bad at this,_ aren’t you?” Lup drawls from behind him. Magnus turns to look at his friend.

            “Bad at what?”

            Lup just shakes her head before returning to her phone, rapidly texting. “At this rate, Taako’s not gonna win Leon’s shoes.”

            “What’d Taako bet on? And why is it always shoes with you two?”

            Lup doesn’t answer either question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!
> 
> Chapter 2 is done, and ooh boy these two goofballs took me in a few directions I wasn't expecting, but it's all good (hopefully - I'll let you all be the judge of that). Still hoping to get chapter 3 finished up within the next couple days, but we'll see how it goes!
> 
> Kudos, comment, subscribe, leave a message after the beep at [charmandhex](https://charmandhex.tumblr.com).


	3. Magnus Rushes In

            After a few more, uh, _meetings_ with Julia (Magnus had turned redder than even the IPRE jackets when _someone_ -everyone, really- had insisted these qualify as dates), Magnus is done with both application and essay. Finally. He hits the submit button and lets out a long exhale, leaning back in his poorly made dorm chair that squeaks every time he moves. He stares up at the ceiling, specifically at the reddish stain he and Taako had been unable to get out of the plaster after the infamous lasagna incident.

            He wants to text Julia. Of course he does; she’s amazing, and getting to know her over the course of the past few days has only hammered home that fact in Magnus’s mind. But it’s also the end of the year, and Julia’s probably actually focusing on studying for her last test tomorrow, and Magnus should probably study for his own. And the IPRE application is, in fact, finally done.

            It’s too quiet in the suite. Before he knows what he’s doing, Magnus surges forward, ignoring the creak of protest from the chair, and begins throwing his textbook, notebooks, and laptop into his backpack. His phone buzzes. It’s a text from Taako, asking him to bring a very specific shirt, pair of pants, and everything else Taako needs for a full outfit to the coffee shop. Of course, he doesn’t explain why. Doesn’t matter. After a few years of being friends with Taako, Magnus can find the required articles of clothing easily. And then he’s out the door. He can focus better on studying in the coffee shop with some caffeine in him anyway.

            Both Taako and Lup are there today, and Lup grins when she sees him. “Hey, Maggie!” She’s already turning to grab a croissant out of the case to throw in the oven. “Creesh and Barold should be here later. Maybe even the grumpy old men. Unless you’re meeting someone else?” She asks, a playful smile on her face. At the other end of the counter, Taako calls out an order before glancing over to them. He frowns and then looks around, almost expectantly.

            “Uh… no.” Magnus answers while Lup writes down his order (hot chocolate again) and slides the cup in Taako’s direction. Her brother catches it without looking, eyes now fixed on the door.

            “Huh.” Lup comments.

            “That’s not really helpful, you know.”

            “Oh, I know.”

            “Is he-” Magnus waves a hand in Taako’s direction.

            “Having the same problem as you? Yeah.”

            “Wait, what problem is that?”

            Lup rolls her eyes. “Hopeless, the lot of you.”

            “Lup. Luuuuuuuuuuup.” Magnus whines. It’s a good thing there’s no one in line behind him now to get annoyed by how Magnus is lingering at the counter. Though Jenkins looks like he might be getting up for a refill. Eh. He and his stupid bowtie can wait.

            “Well, _you’re_ obviously just over the fuckin’ moon about Julia, babe. And he’s, well-” They glance down. Oh, shit, _that’s_ what the look on Taako’s face means.

            “Now hold on. _Hold on._ When did _that_ happen?” Surely, surely, Magnus hasn’t been so caught up in the IPRE application and finals that he missed this.

            “Uh… two hours ago?” Lup says with a shrug and a grin. “Ran into each other, no, _literally_ ran into each other. Guy spilled coffee all over both of them, and then… they made eye contact I guess? Ghost Rider looks like the Grim Reaper, Mango. But, uh, baby bro’s got a date tonight. Which means _you-_ ” Lup reaches over the counter to pat Magnus on the shoulder, “-should really get going on asking Julia out. Like, actually out. On a date. With like, flowers and gazebos and all that.”

            “Lup, it’s the middle of winter. Candlenights is in like five days.”

            “Ice skating and gazebos and all that then.” Lup shrugs.

            “What’s with you and gazebos all of a sudden?”

            “Dunno, seems like a ‘you’ thing.”

            “Uh huh. And when are you talking to Barry?” Magnus smirks at Lup, whose shoulders instantly fly up to hover near her ears.

            “Shut up, Burnsides!” Lup says, too loud, getting the attention of at least half the coffee shop. Magnus’s booming laugh gets the attention of the other half.

            He goes down to the end, and Taako’s eyes light up as Magnus hands the bag over to him. “Thanks, my dude.” He puts it under the counter before passing a hot chocolate over to Magnus.

            “I can’t believe you found a boyfriend, and you didn’t tell me.” Magnus raises a hand to his chest, mock offended.

            Taako snorts. “Who said anything about-”

            “Lup. And that’s a date outfit.” Magnus says matter-of-factly.

            Taako looks at him a moment before clearing his throat. And completely ignores Magnus’s statement. “So, uh, listen, you gonna ask Julia out?” Magnus chokes on the hot chocolate he’s just taken a sip of. “Chug and Squeeze still, uh… still has some open seats tonight. Don’t ask how I know.”

            “I’m- I’m gonna- study. Do the. Study thing. Books and shit and, uh, papers. Study. Test. Yeah.” Ignoring the commentary from Taako and the fact that Lup is now probably texting Lucretia about this, Magnus walks over to the now familiar table. It’s empty, which actually stings a little, for some reason. He’s gotten used to seeing Julia in the chair opposite.

            Magnus sets up to study, only taking up half the table out of quickly formed habit. One exam to go, and then freedom for a month (aside from worrying about the IPRE). He can do this.

            He doesn’t look up as people come and go, instead working his way through the lessons of the past four months. It’s… a lot of memorization, unfortunately. At least it’s animals and stuff Magnus likes to memorize.

            He’s focused so intently that he jumps when someone sets something down on the table. “What the f-” He looks up to see- Julia. She blinks, surprised.

            “Oh, uh, is this, sorry, I thought this would be okay, since, uh, you know, we’ve been meeting up for a week now.”

            “No! It’s- it’s okay, it’s _great_.” Julia smiles and sits. “Just, uh, wasn’t expecting you, I guess. Not that I only wanted to talk to you about the IPRE stuff! But, uh, figured you had other work to do.”

            “Well, yeah, but we’re, we’re friends, right? We can still meet up to study and complain about exams, right? I was fully planning on talking your ear off about astrophysics and binary star systems next semester.” Julia laughs a little at the end.

            “Yeah! Friends. Definitely. Definitely, definitely friends” Friends. Right.

            So they work for a while, mostly focused but occasionally trading comments and jokes and stories. There’s a lull.

            “Uh… hey, Magnus?” Magnus looks up. Surprisingly, Julia looks nervous. “Um… what if… okay, what if… we weren’t friends. Or, or we weren’t _just_ friends. Or - _fuck_ , this is not going right- Magnus Burnsides, would you like to go out on a date?” There’s a beat. “With me?”

            Magnus just looks at her for a few moments. Julia stares back, seeming to hold her breath. “Yes.”

            “Yes?”

            “Hell yes.” Magnus amends, and Julia’s face lights up, brighter than a sunrise. “Uh… when?”

            “When?”

            “You know, uh, when should we go out? On a date? Cause, uh, Candlenights break-”

            “Oh, _fuck_.” Julia raises her hands to her face, though Magnus can see her turning red between her fingers. “Excellent timing, Julia, great planning.”

            “Now hold on!” Magnus objects. “It is good timing, cause at least we’re both not, you know, _wondering_ over the whole break, right?”

            Julia raises her face back up, and even blushing like mad, she’s still beautiful. “Were _you_ going to ask me out?”

            “I was… trying to. Or trying to figure out how to.”

            “Of all the times to overthink!”

            “Hey, at least you did ask!”

            “In the eleventh hour!”

            “Julia, would you like to go on a date _tomorrow_?” Magnus asks, the words rushing out. And it’s Julia’s turn to just look at him for a few moments.

            “Yes,” she answers, grin growing wider.

            “Cool. Cool cool cool.” Magnus says, leaning back in his chair. “So, after exams?”

            “Definitely. Probably not coffee though.”

            Magnus grins. “Fair point. So, uh…” Lup’s earlier suggestion pops into his head, “Uh, ice… ice skating?”        

            “Can you skate?”

            “No? Probably not?”

            Julia laughs. “Me neither. Oh, hey, a friend of mine mentioned something about the campus Chug and Squeeze? Oh, shoot, I think he was talking about tonight though, and it being like the last night before it closes for the break… what about the aquarium? They’ve actually got a new jellyfish exhibit!”

            “Oh yeah, I saw- that sounds, that sounds great, Julia.”

            “Wonderful!” And Magnus just smiles at Julia for a few moments, and she just smiles back. “Oh, uh… we should… we should probably finish studying, huh?”

            Magnus suddenly remembers there’s an exam worth 30% of his grade between him and a date with Julia. “Oh! Right.”

            They continue their studying half-distracted (though, really, could you blame them?), still trading comments and jokes and occasionally getting into unintentional staring contests and smiling for a while. Still, eventually, it’s late, and time to depart. At least there’s no scone throwing this time.

            “So, uh, it’s a date tomorrow?” Julia asks again as she shrugs on her backpack.

            “Yes.” Magnus nods eagerly as he does the same.

            A sudden round of clapping meets their ears, complete with a piercing whistle that Magnus recognizes. Both Magnus and Julia jump and turn towards the source of the noise.

            Taako and Lup have climbed over the counter and are clapping enthusiastically, and at some point they were joined by several others. Barry is clapping as well, more quietly, very much red in the face. Davenport is clapping more sedately as well, while Merle very conspicuously gives Magnus a thumb’s up. Lucretia is lowering her fingers from her mouth, grinning. And a guy with long braids and wearing all black is standing next to Taako, looking between Taako and the pair of them, clapping along cautiously, as though he’s not sure that he should be.

            “Well, tits.” Magnus reaches up and scratches behind his ear, already self-conscious. “Sorry about my friends; they’re terrible people.”

            “It’s okay; mine apparently is, too.” Julia waves pointedly at the guy Magnus doesn’t recognize, who stops clapping to awkwardly wave back. Taako turns and elbows him, but the gesture is friendly. “Let’s, uh, let’s get out of here?”

            They step out onto a street illuminated by streetlamps, the sun having long since set for the early winter’s night. It’s snowing, and has been all afternoon, and the falling snow muffles the sounds of the city, leaving the world softer and quieter. Julia takes a few steps, the snow softly crunching under her boots, before stopping, nearly glowing under the light of the streetlamp, snowflakes drifting around and framing her. “So.”

            “So.” Magnus steps up to her, no hesitation.

            “I’m glad I sat down at that table. And you started talking about the IPRE. And I helped you. And I asked you out. I’m glad for a lot of things.”

            “Most of which were you.” Magnus points out.

            “True.” Julia shrugs, a smirk playing around her mouth. “Seems like you should have some more initiative, Burnsides.”

            “I’ll work on my dexterity.” He promises. “But, uh, there is one more thing I was thinking about, uh, as far as initiative goes.”

            “And what’s that?” Julia tilts her head to the side, studying him. “O-oh.” Julia seems to have realized, a hint of pink coming into her cheeks.

            Magnus clears his throat before starting to ask, “So, uh, can I-”

            “Yes.” Julia answers before he can finish the question.

            And, well, Magnus has always been good at rushing in. They might be eager and just a touch clumsy, but, in Magnus’s opinion, it’s a pretty amazing first kiss. Neither of them can seem to stop smiling afterwards.

            “We should- we should probably go.” Julia says, still smiling. “You know. Exams. Responsibilities. Probably ought to start packing at some point, too.”

            “Yeah. Might be a good idea.” Magnus says, smiling as well.

            “I’ll text you?”

            “I’ll text you, too.”

            “See you tomorrow, Magnus.”

            “See you tomorrow, Julia.”

            A day later, Magnus and Julia have their first _official_ date. A few weeks later, Magnus gets a call about IPRE interviews. And a month or so after that, Magnus celebrates getting into the IPRE with his family and his new girlfriend. And a few years down the line, after graduation? Magnus and Julia Waxmen-Burnsides start work at the IPRE.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!
> 
> And that's it, that's the end! I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Kudos, comment, check out [charmandhex](https://charmandhex.tumblr.com) for all the other things I'm working on!


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